This third outer shrine completely enclosed the second shrine. It is
constructed of wood, and its external and internal surfaces are entirely
coated with gesso overlaid with a layer of thin sheet gold, laid on
as gold leaf.

Specimens of wood from two of the tongues fixed to the lower edge of the
crowning members, for insertion into corresponding mortises in the upper
edge of the under-structure of this shrine, were examined by Mr L.A. Boodle.
He identified one to be oak, possibly Quercus cerris, Linn. (Turkey
oak), which could have come from Asia Minor or North Syria; the other to be
Christ's-Thorn wood - Zizyphus Spina-Christi, Willd., common in Egypt
to-day. The fibre of the boards resembles that of the wood employed for the
first innermost shrine, which undoubtedly is cedar, and probably Cedrus
Libani, Berrelier, from the Lebanon or Asia Minor (cf. First Shrine, p. ;
Boodle's report, pp. ).

Although this shrine is of larger dimensions than the second shrine of this
series, its method of construction and structural form is the same.

This shrine is made up of sixteen separate members and sections in the
following manner:- The roof in two sections; two side and one end crowning
member, each comprising the cavetto cornice and roll moulding; one front
crowning member, which includes the cavetto cornice, roll moulding, and
chief beam or over door frieze; four corner posts; two side and one end
wall section, consisting of the chief beam or frieze, panel and dado; one
sill; and two (folding) doors.

The two roof sections are of the same form, and are fitted on to the cornice
members in similar manner as those of the second shrine (see fig. ). They
also have silver coated copper handles of staple-form, two on each side, for
convenience of transport and lowering them on to the cornice pieces.

The two side and crowning cornice members, with roll moulding, are tongued
and mortised on to the sections of the under-structure, the tongues being
of wood and copper alternate (see fig. ), but the front crowning cornice
member differs by including both the cavetto cornice, the roll moulding, and
the chief beam or over door frieze, in one piece, and it is mortised on to
the upper stub tenons of the front corner posts (see fig. ). These four
crowning members are also locked together by means of <>-shaped dowels of
copper sunk into slots cut in the upper edges of the cornice at the corners
(see fig. ). The copper dowels are inscribed with their respective cardinal
points.

The two side and end sections of the under-structure comprise only the chief
beam or frieze (top rail), panel, and dado (bottom rail). Here, as in the
preceding shrines, the boards of the top and bottom marginal pieces and
panel are horizontal; the two vertical end pieces, called the clamps, extend
the whole height of the sections and are mortised to receive the fitted
tenons on the transverse boards, the tenons

being sufficiently long to project for insertion into corresponding mortise
holes in the rebated vertical edges of the corner posts which form the side
and end styles (see fig. ).

The four corner posts, which act as the styles as well as the door posts,
are made up of several pieces of wood joined into one piece. They are
mortised to the rest of the under-structure, and stub tenoned to the
chief beam or over door frieze and sill. (see fig. ).

The sill is a separate member mortised to the stub tenons of the door
posts. (see fig. ).

The bottom edges of the whole of the under-structure are bound with copper,
painted a dark greenish-blue.

The opening of the framework of the doorway is rebated to receive the
folding doors.

The right and left leaves of the folding doors are constructed and hung in
alike manner to those of the preceding shrines, but their pivots and sockets
are of copper. The doors were bolted and secured with cord and seal
(discovered intact) in precisely the same way as the second shrine. However,
the clay seal in this case was on the left door instead of on the right (see
fig. ). The two seal impressions, although very imperfect imprints, could be
identified as from the same matrixes employed for sealing the second
shrine. For their description see second shrine, p. ...

These marks clearly show the correct orientation of the shrine, but like
the preceding shrines it was erected in the exact opposite direction,
namely, the front facing east instead of towards the west.

The over-all decoration, incorporating various designations of the King,
religious representations and texts, is incised upon the gesso-gold
overlay. The cartouches in the texts show, however, distinct traces of
having been altered: their gilding is in many cases of a mere brilliant
yellow colour and less tarnished than the rest of the gold overlay. The
decoration as a whole has also a more distinct El Amarna style than that
of the preceding shrines. Thus, it was at first thought that the cartouches
were originally the Aten-form of the King's name, but since both the
prenomen and nomen have been changed it is not improbable that the shrine
was originally intended for another monarch of this line of hereditary
rulers - possibly Semenkh-ka-re. The decoaration of the upper surface of the
roof varies from that of the preceding shrines. Here, instead being
completely gilded and incised with formulae, it is coated all over with a
black resinous material, which is divided into a number of small squares by
longitudinal and transverses gilded bands of incised inscriptions.